Bottle with self-contained drinking straw



Nov. 30, 1965 Q A, GRIFFIN ETAL 3,220,587

BOTTLE WITH SELF-CONTAINED DRINKING STRAW Filed April 30, 1964 i F/g./ E

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I I 26 a 20 Anthony L. Griffin Earl G. Chefwynd 1NVENTOR$ MW F United States Patent 3,220,5s7 norrrn WITH SELF-CONTAINED no STRAW Anthony L. Griflin, 107 Division St., Amsterdam, N.Y., and Earl G. Chetwynd, 6 Steele Ave, Gioversville, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 363,875 8 Claims. (Cl. 2151) The present invention relates, generally stated, to a bottle such as is commonly used for soda pop and soft drinks and has reference, more particularly, to a bottle which is unique in that it has an improved self-contained liquid dispensing straw which is such in construction that it is normally confined in the liquid space of the bottle and covered and held in position by the usual crowntype bottle cap.

An object of the .invention is to provide a'soft drink bottle having a two-part dispensing straw wherein the component parts are telescopically connected and wherein the main part or straw extends from the bottom of the bottle to the mouth of thebottle and a .complemental extensible auxiliary part or straw which is normally closed by the bottle cap and which, after the cap has been removed, is available and can be caught hold of and extended to a convenient liquid dispensing and drinking position.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention a main straw has its lower end curved to provide an intake adjacent the bottom of the bottle. The upper end is provided with an integral disk-like adapter provided with diametrically opposite depending assembling and retaining lugs. The outer marginal portion of the disk-like adapter or member is held in place by the usual crown cap and has an overhanging edge portion which is availably usable, with the aid of the users fingers, in loosening and removing the complete straw when it is no longer needed.

- The invention also features companion main and auxiliary straws telescopingly connected and providing the aforementioned two-part construction and wherein the auxiliary straw comprises a relatively short tubular straw which is of a cross-section less than the bore of the longer main tubular straw and has a lifting flange at its top and a positioning and retaining flange at the bottom, the bottom flange being engageable with limit stop and detent means provided therefor at the upper discharge end of the main straw or tube.

The invention also features an arrangement wherein the top side of the central portion of the disk-like member is' provided with a shallow depression which receives and properly seats the flange at the top of the auxiliary straw. The components are in proper associated and flush relationship when the overall straw has been inserted into the bottle and-readied for use upon removal of the crown cap.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing a soft drink bottle, removable crown cap and also the improved two-part straw based on FIGURE 2; and wherein the two parts are shown in telescoping ready-to-use relationship;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view hsowing the extensible straw in its normal retracted position;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view showing the extensible straw withdrawn for use; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective showing the component parts in the relationship illustrated in FIGURE 2.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the soft drink bottle 6 comprises the usual bottom 8, body portion 10 and reduced neck 12 terminating in a beaded mouth or lip portion 14 on which the customary crown cap 16 is fitted and removably clenched in place as at 18.

The improved dispensing straw means construed as a unitary device or assembly, is denoted at 20 and is characterized by a long main tube or straw 22 commensurate in length with the container portion of the bottle. The lower end portion is curved as at 24 and has its liquid intake 26 positioned proximal to the juncture of the bottom 8 and body portion 10. The upper end portion 28 is provided with an adapter, more particularly, a positioning disk 30 having a pair of orienting and retaining lugs 32. These lugs, when in use as shown in FIG. 1, are forcibly plugged into the mouth of the bottle neck and function to effectively locate and retain the adapter and main straw in a ready-to-serve manner.

It will be noted that the marginal edge portion 34 projects slightly beyond the lugs 32 to assist in removing the unit 20 from the bottle. The central portion of the disklike member is formed centrally with a circular depression. below which diametrically opposite internal detents 42 are provided. These detents serve to accommodate and retain a stop flange 44 on the lower end of the auxiliary straw 46, said flange being releasably engageable with the detents 42.

Normally the main and auxiliary tubes or straws 22 and 46 are in the position and relationship illustrated in FIG. 1, and more particularly, in FIGS. 2 and 4. Accordingly, the top flange 48 is seated in the aforemen' tioned depression 38 with its top surface flush with the top surface of the disk-like member 30. When the two straws 22 and 46 are in this collapsed telescoping relationship the lugs 32 are plugged into the neck of the bottle thus maintaining the disk-like member 30 in proper relationship to the bead or lip of the bottle neck. The diameter of the disk-like adapter is such that the edge 34 rests atop the bead but does not overhang or in any manner interfere with the application and removal of the crown cap 16. Accordingly, the crown cap serves to maintain the edge 34 and consequently the adapter 30 properly seated.

After the crown cap 16 has been removed with the usual 'bottle opener (not shown) the novel dispensing straw means is available for use. In order to make satisfactory use of the invention the lifting flange 48 is pried open with an instrument or, alternatively, the users fingernail, and lifted to a position where the pull-out straw or mouthpiece 46 can be caught hold of and extended to the position shown, for example, in FIG. 2. As is evident the inner retaining flange 44 (FIG. 3) snaps over and beyond the detents 42 whereby to provide the user with a main dispensing or delivering straw 22 and an extended easy-to-use mouthpiece 46.

The depth of the recess 38 is in keeping with the crosssectional thickness of the flange 48 to provide the desired flush relationship illustrated in particular in FIGS. 2 and 4. The detents 42 are spaced below the limit stop for the flange 44-50 that the several component parts fit together in liquid-tight relationship. This structural provision and arrangement is to prevent air suction when drinking the soda or other contents from the bottle. It will be further noted that the curved lower end portion 24 of the main straw extends to the bottom of the bottle to insure satisfactory delivery and dispensing from the bottle.

The invention provides a highly satisfactory and efficient self-contained straw which lends itself to feasible and acceptable use in a soda or equivalent soft drink bottle and functions in a manner which appeals to children and minimizes spilling to the extent that the bottle with the straw therein is virtually spillproof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a soft drink bottle having a pouring neck terminating in a beaded mouth portion adapted to position and properly retain a removable crown cap, a straw means comprising a first straw of a length commensurate with the depth of the receptacle portion of said bottle, said straw having a curved lower end terminating adjacent a junctional portion of the bottom and vertical wall of the bottle, said first straw being provided at an upper end with a disk-like adapter constituting a mounting and retaining member, said adapter having insertable means for retaining said adapter partly in place in the mouth of the bottle, a second straw fitting telescopically into the upper end of the first-named straw and normally confined therein, said second straw being adapted to be bodily withdrawn and extended beyond the cooperating upper end of the first straw, and a crown cap removably fitted on said beaded bottle mouth and closing the bottle and cooperatively positioning and retaining both straws in place.

2. In combination, a soft drink bottle provided at its upper pouring end with the usual beaded neck, a disk-like member mounted atop said neck and having depending lugs fitting downwardly into the neck, said disk-like member having a discharge opening, a first elongated st-raw having an upper end attached to and depending from the apertured portion of the disk-like member and extending down into the receptacle portion of the bottle and having a curved liquid intake end at its bottom, and an extensible and retractible second straw having a lower end fitting slidingly into an apertured portion of said disk-like memher.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said second straw is provided on an upper end with a flange and on a lower end wit-h a second flange, said second flange being cooperable with retaining detents provided therefor at the upper end of said first straw.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said second straw is provided on an upper end with a flange and on a lower end with a second flange, said second flange being cooperable with retaining detents provided therefor at the upper end of said first straw, the upper central portion of said disk-like member having a recess and said upper flange being normally seated in said recess.

5. In combination, a soft drink bottle having a body portion provided with a bottom and with an upper neck portion, said neck portion terminating at an upper end in a discharge mouth, a crown cap fitted atop and closing said discharge neck and mouth, an adapter disk bridging said mouth and having marginal edge portions resting atop the encompassing lip portion of said mouth and clampingly held in place between said lip and an underneath side of said cap, said cap being removable at will, said disk having a central opening and 21 depending tubular dispensing straw, said straw being integral with the disk and depending into the receptacle portion of the body and having a lower end which is curved laterally and which terminates in proximity to the bottom of the receptacle portion of said body, and an auxiliary straw shorter than said first-named straw and normallytelescopcd and hidden within the passage of said first-named straw and being open at its opposite end and provided at an upper end with a retaining flange which is available when said cap has been removed.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 and wherein said disk is provided at its central apertured portion with a depression providing a keeper seat, the flange on the upper end of said second-named straw being seated in said seat but accessible for removal and lifting and withdrawing the second straw from within the confines of the firstnamed straw whereby said second straw can be used as an extended mouthpiece.

7. A dispensing straw construction for a soft drink bottle comprising a disk-like member constituting an adapter and having a marginal edge adapted to be seated atop a bead at the mouth portion of said bottle and provided with diametrically opposite depending lugs adapted to fit telescopingly into the bottle neck for positioning and partially retaining said adapter, said disk being provided at its center with an opening and an encompassing depression providing a keeper seat, a second straw shorter and smaller than the first-named straw and normally fitting telescopically within the confines of the upper portion of the passage in said first straw and having an upper end provided with an outstanding flange and said flange being normally removably fitted in said keeper seat.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 and wherein said second straw is provided at its lower end with an outstanding flange similar to the first-named flange and slidable within the passage of said first-named straw, the upper end portion'of said first-named straw having turned in diametrically opposite detents, said detents being in a common plane and both spaced below the bottom of said keeper seat and serving to permit the flange on the lower end of the second straw to be positioned and held in a retainable position whereby when the second straw is withdrawn and projected above the adapter it is then susceptible of practical use as a mouthpiece capable of assisting the user in employing the two straws much in the manner that a single straw is used in consuming the contents of the bottle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,175,735 9/1939 Banks 2'151 2,617,559 11/1952 Van Der Spek 215-1 2,724,536 11/1955 Pugh 22 9-75 FRANKLIN T, GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A SOFT DRINK BOTTLE HAVING A POURING NECK TERMINATING IN A BEADED MOUTH PORTION ADAPTED TO POSITION AND PROPERTY RETAIN A REMOVABLE CROWN CAP, A STRAW MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST STRAW OF A LENGTH COMMENSURATE WITH THE DEPTH OF THE RECEPTACLE PORTION OF SAID BOTTLE, SAID STRAW HAVING A CURVED LOWER END TERMINATING ADJACENT A JUNCTIONAL PORTION OF THE BOTTOM AND VERTICAL WALL OF BOTTLE SAID FIRST STRAW BEING PROVIDED AT AN UPPER END WITH A DISK-LIKE ADAPTER CONSTITUTING A MOUNTING AND RETAINING MEMBER, SAID ADAPTER HAVING INSERTABLE MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID ADAPTER PARTLY IN PLACE IN THE MOUTH OF THE BOTLE, A SECOND STRAW FITTING TELESCOPICALLY INTO THE UPPER END OF THE FIRST-NAMED STRAW AND NORMALLY CONFINED THEREIN, SAID SECOND STRAW BEING ADAPTED TO BE BODILY WITHDRAWN AND EXTENDED BEYOUND THE COOPERATING UPPER END OF THE STRAW, AND A CROWN CAP REMOVABLY FITTED ON SAID BEADED BOTTLE MOUTH AND CLOSING THE BOTTLE AND COOPERATIVELY POSITIONING AND RETAINING BOTH STRAWS IN PLACE. 